A New Life
by Alice-Rose-718
Summary: Bella is recently devorce, and moving to Italy in the house Charlie left her in his will. She meets edward at her new job, from there on its a hurricane involvine breaking in to houses, Gods/goddesses, and love.
1. Preface

_In Loving Memory of Robert. _

**Preface**

I never imagined anything like this could ever happen. I knew from the second I found out what/who they were that bad things would happen. Now I'm standing here, on my father's grave, my life swinging in the balance. I guess there are worse ways to die. I didn't think things would get this out of hand. I did what I thought was right. The guy was behind bars, where he should be. How ironic is it that I will die in a graveyard? His eyes narrowed, his true power shining. No longer hidden from the world. From my mortal knowledge. No matter how deviant he is how much pain I will be in, he was beautiful.

I can't help Jeremy leaving me. That's what started it all. I can't regret my decision of moving to Rome, just as much as falling in love. I can't be sad not really, I have seen love, and adventure, and friendship. The pain of losing the man I love can never touch me, for he will never die.

Now I sit here staring his enemy in the face,

Waiting for him to finish me off.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

My mother drove me to the airport, she hadn't mentioned or bragged about how she was right. Not one time in the last two weeks that I stayed with her. I was twenty-four; my divorce with my ex, Jeremy had just been completed. I was leaving for Rome and she was leaving for Florida to be with my step dad. August was about to end and I was restarting my life.

Jeremy went off to Las Vegas with his secretary, and I get to move to Rome with Stella the cat. My dream was to live there once Jeremy and I retired. I stayed there once a month with my dad every summer till I was fourteen. The last time I went I was twenty-two, two years ago. It was for my dad's funeral. Jeremy went with me. The sun seemed to shine the same way every day I was there. Making it look like everything was made out of gold. All you wanted to smell in the morning was the rolls from the bakery a block away. Nights where spent with family and friends. Drinking and dancing, neither of which I enjoyed much. Every Monday my dad's friend Billy would come over with his tow daughters both older than me and his son who is a year younger. He and my dad would sit and watch football. Rachel the youngest girl, two years older than I, always loved to tell stories just silly things here and there. Rebecca, the oldest loved to cook she made us food every time. Jake, the boy, and I went out and played, sports, we rode bikes. We played around the streets.

The plane flight was seven hours there, all I did was sleep. I was more worried about seeing Jake. He offered to let me stay with him and his dad, but I don't think I would be comfortable with that.

When I got to Rome the sun was setting. All my stuff had been shipped there about a week before I left, all I had with me were my two suite cases. Stella was going to be here in a week after the international animal society gives her all the necessary shots. When I came down the elevator I looked for Jake. I saw him holding a sign that read, _"Swan, Isabella Swan." _ I couldn't help but laugh to myself. He remembered how we did nothing but watch James Bond Movies.

I walked up and we greeted each other with an awkward hug. It lasted half a second, and we couldn't decide where to put our arms. He took one of my suite cases and we drove to Charlie's house. Charlie Left me the house in his will. I never got a chance to sell it; right now I'm glad I didn't.

"When do you want to come pick up the car?" Jake had been keeping my dad's grey Carola. I was trying to save up enough money to ship the car into Arizona. Jeremy wouldn't help because I wouldn't change my last name on the registration. That didn't sit well with the Blacks. Though Billy never liked him, He wouldn't even give a speech at the wedding.

"Can I get it tomorrow? I'll take a Cab over." I took the dustsheet off the couch and put it in the trash bag with the ones from the living room.

"Okay. Do you want me to stay and help you unpack?" he wiped off the counter with a rag collecting the two years worth of dust.

"Rachel is coming over tomorrow to help. "

"Are you looking for a job yet?"

"Something in writing that's pretty much all I know. But I'll take anything I can get and work my way up at this point."

"OK Bells. Tell me how it goes later. I left the house number on the fridge. Call me if you need anything." He walked up and embraced me.

Of course I will Jake. Tell Billy I said hi." He closed the door behind him, on his way home to take care of his dad. Leaving me in the house I barely remembered. I didn't even come after Charlie's death to clean anything up. His clothing where still in his dresser, or at least that's what Jeremy said when he got back to the hotel room.

I turned the lights on and looked at the white walls, the navy blue carpets. Pictures of Charlie and me, maybe one or two pictures of my mom Charlie and me. There where pictures of him and his police squad, he retired a year before the Car accident. I walked to my old room. The dark blue Curtains where still hanging, covered in dust. I pulled them back and looked at the brick wall three feet away. I pulled the Sheet cover off of my bed, the sheets where purple, with purple and light blue pillows. My quilt from when I was little was still at the foot of my bed. I went to the dresser and whipped off the handles. After uncovering the wooden desk I bring in my suite cases I wouldn't unpack them. I didn't even get my I pod from my purse to sleep. I was still fully clothed when I lay on my bed.

I woke up in the morning. I freaked out being in a room I hadn't slept in for a long time. I sat at the dining room table; it took me a few minuets to find a job agency that looked promising. I called and a woman answered, we talked for a few minuets. She told me that she would like too see me at three that afternoon. I called Jake right after he promised to be over in under an hour to help me unpack, Billy would be coming too.

He and Billy got to my house at eleven. I was still wearing what I had been the day before. Jake laughed at it when I answered the door. My dads TV was still plugged in, we dusted it off and hooked up the cable box that was delivered yesterday. Billy sat watching football while Jake and I dusted the whole house. We swept and vacuumed every floor in the house, opened every window. The gardeners came once every two months since Charlie's death so we didn't touch the front or back yard. We sprayed down the showers and when we were done the house looked like it was stage.

Our Pizza arrived at one; we took a ten-minuet break. After we went to the garage to get my boxes. There weren't many I gave most of my stuff to Jeremy unless it was my personal items. I knew no one had touched the silver wear or towels. The one thing I did get other than Stella was more then half of Jeremy's combined savings.

"What do you want me to do with this?" Jake was holding a box Labeled wedding dress. I took it from his hands ad smashed it in to the trashcan. I walked in to the house with a little regret but I refused to turn back.

"Did you really just do that?" Surprise rang in his voice.

"Do what?" Billy asked not looking up from the game.

"She threw away her wedding dress!" Jake sounded like he had just choked on water. Billy just laughed.

"You are Charlie and Rene's girl." Billy turned off the football game.

By the next Monday I was driving my Dad's car to the meeting at the job agency. I wore black slacks and a white button up blouse. I hadn't been to an interview since I was straight out of college. I walked in to the Job agency with my resume in a portfolio. I was trying not to bend it. The woman at the front desk sent me down a hallway to an office. I looked in and a middle aged woman looked up at me.

"Mrs. Swan?"

"It's Miss. Swan, but yes." I sat down in a grey chair she gestured to. She mumbled to her self-important bits as she read my resume.

"You're a writer?"

"Yes I wrote for _The Arizona Sun_. "she nodded at my statement and typed some information in to her computer.

"There is one job at _The Roman Times_. And you would have to interview."

"I'll take it." I know I sounded desperate but I could only live on the divorce settlement for so long. And I needed that job.

"It's for a fact checker."

"I'm okay with that." She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well then I will call them and send them your résumé. They will call you if you get the interview. "I nodded at her statement.

"Thank you for your time." She smiled at me.

"It was nice meeting you Miss.  Swan. Good luck." She got up and shook my hand. I left the office, picking up Rachel on the way home.

She and I kept in touch over the years. She was the maid of honor at my wedding, and the first person to know about the divorce other than my mother. I was close to her sister Rebecca but Rachel and I were closer, we where all the same age and it was like her were my older sister.

She slept over. We slept in my Dad's room. Rachel said it was to help me adjust. I barely slept and I ended up on the couch at one.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

The phone was ringing on Tuesday morning. I smelt bacon cooking, and heard Rachel in the kitchen behind me. It was cold and I didn't want to move. She must have had opened the windows. She had slept over again, for the third time this week.

"Hello, Swan residence," she spoke to the person calling. "Okay, I'm not Bella, let me get her." I heard her steps rush towards me. She placed the phone on the coffee table. "Bella, it's the people at the news paper. Isabella, Talk to them." She shoved the phone at me. With my eyes still closed I sat up and cleared my throat.

"This is Isabella Swan." I hoped I didn't sound too tired.

"Hello Miss. Swan, I'm Rosalie Cullen. I received your resume last night. The Editor would like for me to interview you. "She sounded bitter and over worked.

"Thank you, I'm available for anytime that is convenient for you." I heard nothing but the flipping of pages.

"Ok then I will see you this afternoon at two. It was pleasant speaking with you Miss. Swan. See you soon." The Phone went dead.

Finally I opened my eyes and Rachel was looking at me, her chocolate brown eyes shining. "Well?" She asked it like the phone call was about her.

"I got an interview at two."

"That's insane, it's eleven."

"Oh Crap" I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. I didn't let the water heat up completely. The feeling of the dirt washing off of my skin was relaxing. The luke warm water kept getting warmer and I finally relaxed, after washing my hair.

When I climbed out of the water the icy out side air frosted over my skin. I wrapped myself in my towel trying to stay a little warm. Quickly drying myself off, I flipped my head down drying my hair. I wrapped myself back up and scurried to my room. I flipped through my closet reaching for the dress I put in there. I lay it on the bed and went to my dresser. Opening it to remove a thong and a black bra that wouldn't be noticeable. After I was dressed I stood looking at myself in the full-length mirror on the back of my door. I opened it and went to find Rachel. "Rachel?"

"Ya bells?" I found her sitting on the couch eating bacon and Eggs, watching Fox News.

"How Dose it look?" she put the food on the table and looked at me.

"Wow Bella." She raised an eyebrow at me. "You're going to get that job. Hands down." She smiled.

"Okay listen Rachel. Thank you so much for all your family has done since me dad died." I sat down on the couch; my feet couldn't even take five minuets in one-inch heels. "Bella, we have been friends for as long as I can remember. You are a great friend and you and your dad have always been there for us." She walked to the counter and picked up her purse. "I'm proud you aren't letting that stupid boy stop you. Now lets go to lunch, my treat." Before I could protest she was out the door.

Rachel drove us to a restaurant a few blocks away. The sing said "The Family Secret". She jumped out of the car and I wobbled carefully after her. When I got to the front she and the host where waiting for me, he seated us out side. She got her "usual" and I took a second to order onion rings and a diet coke. Rachel described to me the great guys she was dating. She kept saying they where getting serious, he was her first boyfriend since her fiancé died in a motorcycle accident. She still cringes every time we pass one on the street.

She talked about him till we got to the main course, then she asked about the details of the divorce, also asking if there was anyone else back in Arizona. Apparently Jake wanted to know. I always knew Jake had some sort of feelings for me, but if I knew he would peruse me I wouldn't have come back. I didn't was any relationship.

It was one forty-five when I got to the newspaper. The drive was less then five minuets and two blocks away. It was a big brick building. A lighted sign at the fourth floor, it announced "The Roman Times". I slid out of the car, Rachel wishing me luck.

I pushed open the glass door and told the receptionist who I was. She sent me straight to a meeting room with two chairs set up. I sat down and a blond walked in and sat in front of me. She looked cold hearted, like she had been hurt one too many times. She spoke and my guess was right, she was the lady from the phone. She did almost exactly what the lady at the job agency did. She took the folder I brought with the articles I had written back home. Her eyebrows rose and fell like breathing. "I'll slip these to Edward if you don't mind. You have more potential than just a fact checker. Are you sure you want to do this job?"

"I need this job."

"Well then ill give this to Edward with the interview notes. You should be expecting a call in a day or two." She got up and shook my hand.

"Nice meeting you Mrs. Cullen. How are you related to the editor, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm his sister." No matter how upset she looked she was beautiful. It made me wonder how my boss to be would look. "It was nice meeting you Miss. Swan." I left the room and I heard her leave behind me, but turning the other way. That way I had seen a large room with printers and files of mail.

Jake drove me back, Rachel was at work, and she was a bartender at a club. I went to their house and cooked for him and Billy. Becca was flying in the next day. I was letting them stay in my dad's room. Its not that I didn't love him, or didn't miss him. It was just the fact he hadn't been in there for two years I hadn't been there for much longer. I haven't seen him in the halls for nine years.

Once I got home I changed and went to bed, I grabbed a book. I couldn't have been reading more then twenty minuets when I get a phone call. "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Alice Cullen. Can I talk to Miss. Swan Please?" the girl, Alice, her voice was happy and full of energy.

"This is she."

'Oh hi, you got the job. Congratulations! My brother in law, the big boss man, told me to supervise you! I'll see you in the morning." She sounded like she was telling me the most important news of my life.

"Okay, thank you Alice. You can call me Bella." I tried to sound as lively as possible.

"We are going to be great friends. I'll see you at work Bella." She hung up the phone before I could say anything else. I slept well; it might have taken me at least five minuets to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

My alarm clock went off at six the next morning, I was told to be at work by nine ready for anything. I thought about how life would be as I rolled off the bed, feet hitting the floor. Maybe I would get my own desk. What would I put? A picture of the Blacks and me? Of course one of Charlie and my mom, but I didn't have any kids to put pictures of, or boyfriends. I thought about putting one of Jeremy, but it would be a waste of time since he wasn't in my life anymore. I wanted to put a picture of Stella but I thought that doing it might qualify me as a cat lady.

I put on a purple blouse and another pair of black slacks. I wanted to get coffee from Starbucks, but I wasn't sure I'd have enough time. I ate my Special K cereal and brushed my hair and teeth. I pulled my hair up in to a neat ponytail bobby-pinning any loose bits of hair. Then I got in to the grey Carola, it had frost on the windshield. I let the car defrost while I put in a CD my mom's boyfriend made me. Traffic wasn't that bad it only took ten minuets to get there on the highway, and I was three minuets early.

The same woman was at the front desk. I walked up but she didn't take her eyes off her computer screen. She was talking about a lunch meeting and a delivery of flowers that where going to be accepted today. I had to clear my throat to get her attention. "Yes dear?" She looked about fifty, a little larger; her voice was as sweet as honey.

"I'm Bella Swan, it's my first day." I bit my lip hoping that Alice was the type of person to be late.

"Hold on sweetie, Let me get Mrs. Cullen." She pressed a button on the phone and put it too her ear. "Hi Alice. Yes she is here waiting for you. OK dear see you soon." She hung up the phone and she smiled "Give her a second."

The elevator binged and I turned to see a small girl, almost childish, skip out of the elevator to the spot right in front of me. "Hi Bella, I'm Alice." She smiled and her button nose crumpled. "Let's go this way. Ill shows you your new desk." Right before the elevator closed the lady at the front desk winked at me. Alice giggled. "You will like Sally she is nice. Oh that reminds m you'll need a press card. I'm sure you can set up your mail account on your own, . But right now Edward wants to see you."

"What? The Boss?" I turned my head to look at her so fast I think it scared her.

"Yep Yep, good old-big brother. He is nice a Lil stern but sweet. This is your desk. "She pointed to the one we where passing that was closest to the elevator. There was a stack of folders on it and the computer looked like it hadn't been used for a while. "This is the third floor. That right there is my desk." It was ten feet from mine; it had metal accessories all over it. It was perfectly organized with nothing out of place. As we went by she named people some who looked up and smiled some just went on with their work. Finally we walked up to a big wall, it had windows with blinds in them. They where all closed. It was large; in time I found out it was 30 feet out of the 45-foot building width. It was twenty feet long, with a sign on the door that said "Edward Cullen, Editor and Chief."

Go on it he doesn't bite." She giggled and skipped off before I even started opening the door. I looked and she was talking to Rosalie. They both looked at me. Alice gave me a thumb up and Rosalie's blue eyes just stabbed in to my abdomen. I pulled the door open and peeked in. There was a man standing at a bookshelf. He turned to look at me. His honey brown eyes welcomed my in to the room, with straight golden brown hair that looked straighten. He had muscle but not enough to call buff, he would still be considered skinny, and he stood about Six foot.

"You must be Isabella Swan." His eyes glowed warmly at me.

"Yes, but you can Call me Bella. It's nice to meet you Mr. Cullen." I bit my lip as he gracefully moved across the room, making it look like a ballroom dance as he sat down in his chair. Watching him move made my heart flutter. At the second that he shook my hand my stomach did flips and finally sank. I knew falling for him would just end in disappointment.

"It's Edward, now Bella I have looked at your portfolio and Résumé. You're a talented writer, and we are blessed to have you even if it is just a fact checker. Hop fully your skills you use to write and report will help you with your facts. We are delighted you wanted to become a pert of our team." He spoke as if he was reading a poem he had memorized by heart. He offered a candy out of a small bowl on his desk. I shook my head and popped it in his mouth. "Bella you have your work cut out for you. Alice will show you around and she will help you with what ever you need help with for a few weeks. Understandable?"

"Yes sir." I gave my head a small nod.

"Be in by eight thirty tomorrow and I will have all the articles we have held back because of questionable facts. There is at least ten." I got a feeling like I needed to run out of the room and get all of the things done. I didn't think that when I asked for the interview there would be this much work on the first day.

"Yes Sir I'll see you in the morning." I nodded and reached for a candy in his dish just as he did. Our hands caught while reaching for the same candy. My skin caught fire as his hand slid from the top of mine. I could still feel his fingers tingling on mine as I left the room. Alice was standing at the door holding it open. She looked at him one eyebrow crocked till I was waiting on the other side of the door for her.

"Ok Bella down to the first floor."

As the day went on I got to personalize my desk a little, and set up my work mail account. The picture I put as my screensaver was Becca, Jake, Rachel and I the day after my dad's funeral. I learned what happened on the first floor was sort mail, print and distributing papers. There were some conference rooms and that were about it. The second floor was more conference rooms and writing stuff, layouts and headlines of recent news, and a few file cabinets. There was a main conference room that could fit at least fifty people in it with a TV and a long table. The third floor was all the reporters and desks. We didn't venture up to the fourth floor but she told me that it was full of every newspaper article the paper had ever written and published.

Alice and I went to the bathroom; she was fixing her hair in the mirror. It was then I noticed that the Cullen's all looked like porcine dolls. Alice was short about 5 feet, with small square features. Edward was amazing and Rosalie no matter how cold and stiff her facile expressions where beautiful. They weren't related but they were all perfect.

I sat at my desk about noon when Sally called up and asked Rosalie to come get Jake and bring him up too me. I was marking Favorites; Emmett Rosalie's husband was there to eat lunch with her. Alice and Edward had just left to have lunch at whatever restaurant her husband owned. He brought up the food Becca had made for us as soon as she had gotten to the house. Which wasn't much because all I had ingredients for where PB&J sandwiches. She glared at me as I ran at him to hug him. She treated him like he was a criminal, telling him all the visitor rules like she was about to damn him to hell. We grabbed the food and took it to a conference room so we could eat in peace.

We sat and talked about how he was doing and about Billy's health. Neither of which were in dire trouble. From what he told me Rebecca and her fiancé, Clyde, where settling in to the house. I hadn't met Clyde yet but Becca loved him and they where getting Married In January. Jake told me that they both had jet lag and Clyde went to bed as soon as they got there. Becca was probably going to sleep after Jake left.

He left at about one when every one was getting back to work. Diving home I thought about how different things where and how they had changed so fast. I realized I had never loved Jeremy and almost ran in to a fire hydrant.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Over two weeks things became regular. I woke up at six, went to work around eight, I did favors for Alice and Sally. At night I would go to the Black's house and cook for Billy and Jake, some times Rachel would come over, if she didn't have a date. Rebecca and Her Fiancé joined us every other night. They had moved out of my house after a week and got themselves a little apartment, they where still downsizing but they weren't rushing even with the wedding almost two months away. For Thanksgiving my mom and Phil came to visit. They stayed in a hotel down the street.

I was sitting at my desk, double-checking a hockey play of a new article. Alice ran up to me, she looked like she had been up all night finalizing things. It was the typical Sunday morning while the journalists where in a conference with Edward. "Bella," she panted trying to catch her breath. "Edward wants you in the conference room with us." She grabbed my hand and drugs me down the emergence stairs.

We got in to the conference room and everyone was chatting about their night. Rosalie was the only person who stopped talking to glare in my direction. This generated a worried look from Amy, the girl who wrote our horoscopes. Alice pulled a chair right next to her and had me sit in it with a pen and paper before me. Arnold the very gay guy, who did reviews for us, smiled and greeted me slowly taking a drink from his Starbucks cup.

"Ok, Walter is out this week, he might even be out next week. His wife just had their second baby. We aware going to need someone to write the articles on the United States, or Global happenings." There where hands shooting up, the first one was Rosalie. "I have already picked who is doing what as you already know. So I have assigned the part to Bella." Everyone dropped their hands and gapped at me. "Congratulations, you get his position till he returns. That means every one has to fact check your own work."

I was stunned, and I heard Alice giggle next to me. Arnold hugged me and said something. My hearing was muffled from sock and I had to blink several times to clear my vision. "Wha-what?" I sounded shrill and out of breathe. My train of thought sputtered to a grinding halt. I was brought back to reality with the sound of Alice rubbing my back in circles, trying to be comforting.

"Bella, you are writing an article pertaining to world happenings. Like heath care, or H1N1, or the elderly. Anything that will affect the world, not matter how big or small everything counts. I nodded slowly replaying his words, processing them. Slowly I started searching for a topic that had been on the news in the last few months. I went from the death of Ted Kennedy, to the Yale student who was murdered, to the new discovery about winter babies.

Edward clapped his hands. "Alice she is all yours, and if there is anything else come to me. You guys need to have to get them in to me by Saturday at the latest."

I sat down in my chair; it went down a little at my weight dropping on it. I shifted it back all the way up. I searched all the major news corporations several times, listing all my options then deciding they weren't good enough several times. I must have done that for about an hour when I stuck to three that I liked.

It had been about two months since I had written anything back in Arizona. I knew it had to be good enough to be published, but I dint expect to get my article on the first page the first article here. I printed several different research papers on the subjects, articles, and recent reports. I sorted them all in to their own folders. I wanted Alice's opinion, with folders in my arms I turned around in my chair to go to her desk. I was Edward standing a yard and a half from my desk watching me. "Hello, um… how long have you been there?"

"Hi, not to long, about a minuet. Have you selected a topic?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned one arm on my desk.

"Almost, I have a few options. I was about to ask Alice what she thought was best." I offered the folders to him, and he slid them out of my arms.

He flipped through the articles, and read a few bits. "I like the actions involving the missile shield. We have already done the one who yelled liar. We did a summery of Obama's speech to schoolchildren; we also printed a word for word copy of what he said to them. Mostly we covered the parent's out rage in that situation." He looked up at me, his eyes where warm and welcoming. I felt a peaceful ness wash over me, just knowing he was close. M y eyelids got heavy and I nodded slowly. "Good. Um…. Alice and I are going to her husband's restaurant. We, she, was wondering if you would like to join us? That is if you aren't going to have any guests joining you for lunch today."

"I don't have anyone coming to day. Thank you I would love to go to lunch with you and Alice. I just need to clean up the desk a little." I peered at all the papers I had tossed at the trash bin that had missed, and started pilling up. It felt like I couldn't get enough air, but I knew I was breathing at a regular capacity and rate.

"We won't be leaving for at least another fifteen minuets. So you will have enough time." He smiled and turned away. Alice's small torso popped up from her desk area.

"Is she coming?" She smiled at me. I watched Edward as he tensed, slowly he nodded his head. He glanced back at me with a look that searched for forgiveness. She winked at him and slipped back in to her cubical. Everyone in the room had heard, conversations had stopped, and keyboards were silent. More then half the people looked up to see who they where talking about.

Before we left in Alice's yellow Porsche Turbo 911 I got some cleaning done. I cleared my email, responded to a few of them, and made a list of things I wanted to cover in the article. I took out my trash as we let so I could run to the dumpster and I didn't have to come back up. I made a grocery list. I printed up what I was going to make for the blacks for the rest of the week. I was looking at a picture from her and Phil in London. They walked up behind be before I was going to close the window.

"She is pretty, isn't she Edward? It that your mom and Dad Bella?" She leaned closed over my shoulder to look at the two of them.

"Ya, she is pretty, you look a lot like her. Almost like sister." I looked up at him from my shoulder. His jaw was set and for a second I thought he complimented me. But I didn't let it get to my head.

"Ya, that's my mom and my step dad, Phil. They got married and moved together to Florida after I moved here. My parents have been divorced a very long time. My dad died a couple of years ago and left me a house, so I moved here after my divorce." Alice tried to comfort me by putting her hand on my shoulder. My voice had no inflection; I said it like I was stating facts.

We drove to the restaurant; the same one Rachel took me too. We sat at an inside table, were Alice's husband, Jasper, joined us. He didn't look much like Edward. He was skinny, with blond hair; his skin was four shades lighter. He looked pained, even when he looked at Alice, his face flexed slowly like he was restraining. He had almost no muscle mass.

"I hope you like my restaurant Bella. I recommend the meatloaf. They are award winning." He sat next to Alice; their hands intertwined resting on the table. When they looked at each other it was like they knew what the other was thinking. It was never like that with Jeremy and me. We always voiced our wants, needs, and whims, to the point where we fought. That is most likely what lead to the divorce, or at least the infidelity.

"I have been here once, I love your onion rings they are the best I have ever had. "The corners of his mouth twitched, I took it as a smile and smiled back at him. We ordered our food and jasper went on about the restaurant; how it was doing, what was new, what more he wanted to do, the people who worked there, public affairs that would soon take place.

"So what is _The Family Secret?_" I was just joking but they all got quite and serious. Even Alice had a straight face, no smile.

"It's an inside joke Bella." Edward was the first to talk resting his hand on mine as it rested in my lap. Jasper raised his cup to his lips and looked at Alice. The food came soon after and we started eating.

"So Bella why did you move to Italy? I mean it must have taken a lot to just leave everything behind, to leave your friends." Alice tilted her head.

"I got a Divorce. My ex, Jeremy, I let him have everything. All I got was the cat and the house I never singed over to him. He left with some girl from work as soon as the paper work was finished. I stayed with my mom till all my stuff was shipped and I left. When I got here I had the house that my dad gave me, it was still in my Name. I got a car back from my friend who had been keeping it for me. I wasn't really alone when I got here I had my dad's best friends and his kids; I have grown up with them every summer. But I'm getting Stella, the cat, next Monday."

"Wow, Bells, well you're a great writer and I'm happy I got a great friend out of a divorce." Alice was my best friend at work she really did care about every one she came in contact with. "Maybe you will find some one here. You never know." She glanced at Edward.

"Maybe." I raised my glass to my lips to keep from smiling.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I was carrying groceries in from the trunk of my car to the house. I had three bags in my arms. They were all semi heavy with cereal and mea in the bags maybe some bread. A grey Volvo pulled up next to the house. Edward jumped out of the front seat, his beauty catching me off guard. He came up to me and took the bags from my arms in a swift movement. He went in to the house, and I walked back to my trunk thinking to myself some very reasonable questions. Why is he in my house? Why is he even here? How the Hell did he gets my address? I was walking up to the house with two more bags in my arms, and we almost ran in to each other.

He went back to my car and closed the trunk to my car. He locked it from the driver door and fallowed me in to the house. "I'm sorry I must have come at the wrong time. I'll come by another time." He started walking toward the hallway and I couldn't help but fallow him.

No its okay. I'm making dinner for the family tomorrow I needed the help it would have taken me so much longer without you." I shut my mouth and bit my lip. I didn't want to sound desperate but I already had. "Do you want to stay?"

"Sure." the second the word left his mouth I let go of the breath I didn't notice I was holding. "So this is your house?" He looked at the pictures all over the entrance halls.

"It's the exact same way as when he died." I looked at the picture of me, him, and mom. "I still sleep in the room I lived in when I was here. I can't bring myself to sleep in my dad's room."

"I wouldn't be able to wither. Then again Rose would be the first to claim the house to herself."

"Yeah, she doesn't seem to like me much. Her or her boyfriend.

HE laughed. "Emmet's her husband. And I think he is the only person she likes."

"Oh. Umm... not to be nosey but who is related to who?"

His laugh was deep like warm honey being poured all over me, warming me and filling me with a since of happiness. "Rose is older than me, Jasper is a year younger. We moved in with our aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle after our parents died in a plane crash. Alice and Jasper are married, but you know that. They have been together since middle school. Rose and Emmet eloped a little bit after dating. Carlisle is a medical teacher at the university. Esme is a preschool teacher." he looked at the picture the last one on the wall before walking in to the living room. It was of me and the blacks. The only new thing in the house. "These are your friends? He comes to give you lunch a lot. Are you two together?"

I laughed the thought of having feelings for Jacob. "Jake and I are only friends. I love him like a little brother. My ex held me back, from my friends from my family. I'm just lucky to get out of it early in life."

"Good you should live your life however you want. Everyone deserves to be happy." He looked around the living room and glanced at the kitchen. "The house looks like it's been lived in for the past ten year."

"Ya, thanks to dust covers, we cleaned the floors a lot and did all the dished. Even the silverware is the same. My room looks almost the same, well except the clothes are bigger. And there's a laptop on the desk now."

"Well it's a beautiful house. I'm still living in the same apartment I was in during college. That is when Jasper lived with me. No reason to move out what else would I do. Move it with my parents again?" He laughed at the thought of it. "No thank you" He looked around the kitchen at all the bags. "Do you need help putting these away?"

"Sure." I grabbed things to put into the pantry. He managed to put most of the things away without asking.

"Do you want wine? I only have red though." I held up the bottle that hadn't been open.

"Yes please." He sat on the bar stool across from me. "Don't give me too much I still have to drive home" as I poured I felt his eyes on me. I poured him less than half a glass.

I know I should have been weirded out by the situation. My boss was in my house. We were drinking wine. Some how it felt like normal, it wasn't forced to stay calm or strained because he was my superior. I handed I'm the glass and he lifted it to his lips. He had helped me with the groceries like it was a weekly thing. The one thing I liked about him... then I thought wait I like my boss? It didn't sound right thinking it but I couldn't deny I did enjoy how he never judged, or compared, he just accepted.

"So I'm guessing this wine hasn't left the house wither. IT great, well aged." his lips curled coyly around the edges of the glass.

"Yep, I think it was my dad's favorite brand. They don't sell it at the stores here." I giggled to myself and took another sip. "Think you for helping with the groceries."

"Your welcome. Just curious, but how is your article going?" he almost finished the glass.

"Good considering how long it has been seine I have written one at all. I'm almost done I'm just filling in a few cracks." I set my glass down in the sink.

"Good. Alice is happy she has someone to hang out with other than Rose." He laughed, and I had the feeling that's how a lot of people felt about Rosalie. "Alice is like a kindergartener, every new friend means the world to her. I'm really happy for you guys. And Rose gets her down too much, and then jasper doesn't talk to her for a week cause Rose Doesn't care."

"I'm really happy I met her. Divorce really destroys friendships. The blacks and my mom were all I had." I put his empty glass in the sink next to mine and rinsed the with water. "She has really helped me adjust to life here."

"She is like that." He smiled and fiddled with his thumbs.

"Not to be rude, but umm... you randomly appear at my house so, why are you here?"

"We are going, the family that is, to have a Christmas party. I know it's another month till then but I was wondering if, um, you would like to go with me." He looked tired as he dropped his head.

"It would be my pleaser." He lifted his head and his eyes shone like the sun. I was almost blinded it.

"Good night Bella, thank you for the wine." He got up from his seat and walked towards the door by the time I thought of going after him I reached the threshold and both he and his car where gone.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

We walked through the isles of the supermarket I lived down the street from. Becca said it was the only American one in town. Her cart was almost full with food for her and Clyde. Mine was barely midway with boxes of mashed potatoes and packs of Mac n, cheese. I wondered behind her as she was on autopilot.

"How are thing with Clyde?" I was half listening to her response; the question was only asked to fill the silence. She rambled about their silly little fights and how his cooking was getting better day by day, or any slight change to the wedding plans tat wouldn't make a difference to me.

I noticed she was saying my name. I looked up at her, "Huh?"

"Did you hear me?" She was worried her forehead was wrinkled. "Oh, how is work going? And that guy from work how is that?"

"How did you know?" I couldn't help but ask. Rebecca laughed, almost as if I should have known.

"Rachel told me." There was a smirk on her face.

I could feel my face go red, my heart got faster by even thinking of Edward. It was a feeling I hadn't gotten in a long time. "It's good. I had the article published on the second page. Edward, oh, he asked me to the Cullen's Christmas party. I mean the whole paper will be there and their family friends, but he meant as like, a date."

"OoooooH! That's not scary at all." She laughed and pocked my stomach. "Well you'll do fine. You lived with an ass hole long enough." I couldn't help but laugh, no matter how old we got she enjoyed antagonizing people.

Her smile lines appeared and the edges of her eyes wrinkled in to her cocoa skin. She pushed he brown bangs out of her face. There was a little cough next to us and a little lady, about four foot nine, who wanted us to move was eyeing the spaghetti sauce. I didn't think that she spoke English.

Becca and I got in separate cars and she went back home with me. She helped me carry in my groceries. We sat and she told me what she thought about Rachel's boyfriend. When she went home to Clyde I turned on the TV and watched NCIS. Stella had crawled up on to my lap in my sleep and didn't move.

The next day went by slowly. Edward glancing at me all day. There was a small amount of words before he slipped in to his office. Alice was about to for lunch with Jasper. She decided to tell me that she was coming over the next night to take me shopping.

Thursday night she and I got in to my car. We talked about funny things from work for the last couple days.

"So Bella, what do you think you want to wear?"

"Um… a dress?" I really didn't get the point of the question, but I had a feeling a dress would be a start.

"Of course you're wearing a dress. But I mean what kind? Long, short? Strapless, Spaghetti straps? Do you want to wear a wrap with it? Any colors you prefer?"

"Oh, that. I really don't think I have worn a dress since my wedding." I don't think it sounded like I was joking but Alice laughed. She directed me the rest of the way to the evening gown store the size of a restaurant.

When we walked in the dresses where organized in color all over the store, I didn't see a clearance rack and I got worried. I didn't think I could pay for anything in here. Looking at the dresses I felt my stomach weight down, it only made walking harder.

She guided me in to the bright colors. I eyed the yellows, oranges, and the lime green silks. Alice paid my attention to my reaction to the dresses. They where all to short, at mid thigh. The necklines went too low, almost plunging to my ribs. None of them where simple. If I was going to wear a dress I wanted it to be simple. My wedding dress was sleek and to the ground. I was trying not to hurt her feelings when I said no. We moved toward the medium and dark colors. I tried to look at the dark blues; maybe I would have luck with my favorite colors.

The straps where down under the breast, crossed and then connected in the back. The straps where a dark blue material, sparkling. It fit me perfectly when I tried it on. Around my bosoms it was fitted, then it hung loosely from my hips to the ground. I was in love with every detail of the dress. I didn't pay attention to the ones Alice was trying on. I couldn't take my eyes off my self.

She refused to let me pay for it even though I had just enough money to cover the $600 price tag. We drove home and she made me promise not to tell Jasper what hers looked like. I slipped out of the car with the dress on my arms. The first thing I did when I got in was hanging it up. I slipped in to the shower, and then ate cereal I had gotten for Jake.

The next morning I called in sick, I knew I would have a pile of papers on my desk the next day but it didn't matter. I was feeling a bit stressed and needed me the day off. I sat down and lay on the couch. The TV was on but I didn't pay any attention to it. By twelve I had put away the dishes and my clean clothing. I picked up the phone and called Jake. We talked a little before Jake told Billy he was going to come over. Billy was going to stay at the bar and have the bartender drop him off when the next bar tender comes in.

The doorbell rang at about twelve thirty. He and I sat on the couch, trying to sit on opposite sides. My feet where on his lap, we closed most of the blinds so we could see the movie with out a glare. There where still rays of light beaming through from one of the open sets of blinds. They hit his skin, making his coffee color skin glow, eyes a warm fire. All of his muscles were relaxed, and his hands were warm against my ankles. We watched CSI: Miami silently. I wondered why it was so hard to see his beauty moat of the time, but it was that he was always stressed. HE had grown up fast after his mom died.

At about three thirty I put an oven bake pizza in the oven. At four it beeped and he cut it up. I ate two pieces he ate the other eight. It always amazed me how much he could eat.

"Bella?" He asked after he had swallowed a bite.

"Ya?" I took a sip of my Coke feeling the dense air.

"Um… in two weeks, on the 23rd do you want to go to the movies with me?"

Pain shot through me, shock fallowed it in a wave. He was asking for the day of the party. "Oh Jake. I really love to," not completely the truth but I couldn't tell him that. "But I have a work party that day. It's only for the office." I bit my lip and sat down my glass.

I watched him blink a few times before he said anything. I don't even think he took a breath. "Oh." And with those two letters the door bell rang." He got up as I cleared our places. I pulled out the extra pizza for Billy and cut it up.

The rest of the night was almost silent. The echoing voice of the sports reporter shouting his play by plays. I had a feeling Billy knew what had happened. His old mudded eyes respected our silence. Billy ate all of the pizza that I had made and drank two beers.

They left at seven that night and I laid of the couch. Getting off slowly I grabbed a pillow and a blanket. I dragged them in to my dad's room. I lay on top of his sheets laying my head on my pillows and spreading my quilt around me. I slept perfectly, like he was watching me.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

It had been three days since the Blacks were over. I couldn't help think about it, as I got ready to go to Edward's house. The day before I had gotten a note on my desk asking me if I wanted to go to dinner. Later when I had checked the facts on my last article I put a note dropping them off at his desk saying yes. This morning I had a note on my desk saying "I'll get you at your house at 6 PM."

So there I stood thinking about how beautiful Jacob had been less then a yard from me. Every time I had those thought I pushed them away. It was 5:55 and I put my entire make up back in to its drawer. I unplugged my hair curler and went to sit on the couch. I lay like I did when Jake was there. Then within seconds I jumped out if the position and went to stand in the kitchen. The doorbell rang as I finished whipping the counter.

I smoothed down my black top and straightened my jeans. It shouldn't be a big deal it was just a dinner. I opened the door and our eyes met. He was wearing black jeans and a blue dress shirt.

"Wow." Were the first words out of his mouth. I think he realized was starting at my chest that was barely peeking out. "You look great. Are you ready?"

I smiled and nodded. "Hold on let me get my purse." He just smiled as I hurried to the couch to grab my bag.

"My lady." He held his hand out to me and I placed my hand in his. His hand was warm as we mad our way to his car. He opened the passenger door to his grey Volvo and closed it after I got in. We drove for fifteen minuets along a back road before he turned on to a driveway with a small white mailbox. There where trees lining the road till we drove on to pavement. When the trees cleared there was a large glass house. The field around the house was green and had little daises growing in patches. The rooms in the house looked like they where shining. The trees around the field were in a perfect circle and the house was in the dead center. The green branches hung at most 100 feet above the house.

"Where are we?" I chocked out looking from the house to his face. The light from the house was reflecting off his skin. "I thought we where going to dinner?"

"We are this is my family's home." He laughed softly, probably at how coy he had been. "My family is making dinner tonight." My stomach lurched forward as he parked the carat the end of a driveway. Right in front of us there was what looked to be a 5-car garage. I had to spend the night with his parents. I was surprised they even knew about me. I sure as hell didn't tell Rene about him, Billy might have known. Rachel can never keep her mouth shut.

Then another thought hit me," Are Rosalie and her husband going to be there?" He nodded and my shoulders dropped in relief. "What about Alice?"

He nodded his head and I straightened- up. "And if they dot like me?" He held my hand to his face and brushed it against its cheek.

"They love you already. Alice has done her best, so Esme is planning your adoption, at the base ball game the other day Jasper and Emmett talked you up to him." He kissed my fingers. "Forget Rosalie, she needs to get over herself." He Climber out of the car and walked around to open my door.

Standing at the door all I wanted to do was turn and run. Emmett opened the door with a grim spread across his face; Rosalie was standing on the bottom of the stairs right behind him. Alice rounded the corner out of the kitchen and almost knocked me down when she hugged me. Jasper was entail giving me a gentle embrace.

I hadn't noticed Esme and Carlisle had walked in to the foyer. Esme had warm chestnut hair and Edward's eyes. Carlisle seemed to be the origin of Rose's blond hair, only his was graying, and Jasper also had his eyes. Esme stood in front off Carlisle, his hands rested on her shoulders. Their smiles warmed the room and I felt the house was a little more relaxing.

"Hello Bella, I'm Esme, and this is my husband Carlisle. Welcome to our home." She hugged me and I hugged her back. She used the same perfume my mom did but she was more mature than my mom is. I shook his extended hand and Edward greeted his parents.

"Well, the table is set and dinner is ready. We hope your hungry Bella." We walked past a grand piano and a flat screen TV. "I hope you like tortellini Esme makes her own sauce."

"I do." I smiled at Esme

The dinner went surprisingly well. Thankfully Rosalie's trying g to make Esme see things her way had filled her in on why I moved to Italy, so I didn't have to explain much. They did ask questions on my American writing career. Carlisle happened to know my father, he had been on the baseball team while My Dad and Billy played soccer. By the end of dinner I had made Emmett laugh by spilling water on Rosalie, I mad Rosalie almost cry in the same instant and gotten Esme to promise she would come have Lunch with Alice and I after the holidays.

"That went better that I could have ever imagined." He squeezed my hand as we pulled on to the main road.

"I spilt on Rosalie, are you kidding me. Tomorrow will be hell." He laughed at my distress.

"I think she deserved it."

We pulled around the corner and jakes truck was in front of my house. I panicked thinking of all the things that could have happened with Billy. I ran up to the house and through the door. Jake was sitting on the couch playing with Stella. When he looked up and saw Edward behind me his face turned red. "That's where you have been Isabella?"


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

I was shocked to see Jacob Black sitting in my living room. He looked at me like I had just run over a cat. Edward was standing behind me, holding my hand. I dropped my hold on Edward's fingers ad slowly let my arm fall to my side.

"Jacob, what are you doing here?" My fist instinct was to be mad at him he didn't know Edward he had no right to be mean to him. I started panicking as soon as I analyzed the situation. Jacob, Edward, and I, in my living room.

"Becca said Stella was running out of food so I thought I would drop some off. I didn't know you were out and I wanted to make sure you got home okay." His brown eyes narrowed at Edward.

"How long have you been here?" I felt a tension strangling me in the air. From jakes side it was strong and sharp, and from Edward it was light but sharp. I couldn't stand the silence Edward had said a word.

"Not very long, maybe half an hour."

I nodded and turned around guiding Edward to the door. I heard Jake get off the couch and go to the kitchen. Once we where outside I shut the door. "I'm sorry about him Edward. Jake is over-protective. He is like my big brother." We held each other's hands as our faces where less than a foot apart.

"Maybe he should be." He drew away and his eyes looked darker than they had ever been.

"What?"He was making no since and I was worried. They were acting like they knew something I didn't.

His eyes turned lighter and a warm smile spread over his face. "Never mind Bella I'm just being silly." He left me with a kiss on the forehead that tingled a little afterwards. I walked in to the kitchen and looked at Jake. He was putting away dishes, with his back still facing me he put the plate down.

As he turned to me I spoke, "You were out of line." I tried to keep my voice steady; I had the rush I last got when Jeremy and I got in to our last fight.

"Why because you're new boyfriends will fire you?" I was shocked, stepping back my brain processed that this was the first time he had ever yelled at me.

"Jacob it was one date, the first and only date. You came to my house when I didn't know. I don't usually care but honestly you don't know him." I followed him in to the garage as he took out the cat food.

"I'm just trying to protect you Bella."

"What is with you guys and protecting me? You don't know who he really is?"

"How about what he is?"

"What are you talking about Jacob Black? Edward is a person, a man who hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Isabella you don't need to yell at me." His eyes were dark and I wanted to keep him safe. "Let's go sit on the couch." He took my wrist and he led me to our usual seats. He looked down avoiding eye contact. "You can't let anyone know I'm telling you this. Its kind of like vampires, there are legends and proof but they are fast they use their powers so people don't remember and they are always one step ahead."

"Jake what are you talking about?"

He exhaled heavily. "In school they teach you about the ancient gods. What if they aren't as abnormal looking as people were taught what if they ended up being real?" He looked down at Stella sleeping on his lap. "There are stories in this part of Italy going back to ancient Rome. There is a story of a family of gods and goddesses. They are said to lure in young beautiful girls who have will power. Once they are done with them they send them to an island and turn them in to sirens."

"Sirens?"

"Beautiful evil Girls who have the most amazing singing voices. They trap the men on the island and once they get tired of them they kill them. They have their parts in the Odyssey."

"Oh." I was dazed and this seemed too much to take in at once. It felt like I should be reading it from a textbook.

"That way she is stuck, they will lose every person they were ever with. They will lose everyone and they won't have any freedom."

"Jake that is crazy. They are nice people. And you just said yourself people have known Mr. Cullen their whole life."

"That not the point. He left one year for America, and then he came back for two years and lived here with his wife. They went back to America for a year and came back with two kids in their early teens." Stella jumped off of Jake's lap on to the coffee table. "He never had any parents in his life. He had nanny and butlers."

"That doesn't mean anything, he went abroad, fell in love, and started a life." I got up and went to fill up Stella's after bowl, she was meowing at it

"I guess I'll see you later at Bella. Just pretend this never happened."

I sat in my bed with my lap top in front of me. The words modern legend of geek gods was in my search box. I kept searching for words on the pages I had open that reminded me of Jake's story. I was trying to disprove it but I just found more and more to believe. There were many accounts of family like them. The part about the sirens was legit but who the family was kept changing. Some stories said they where normal families recruited by gods, others that they where titans, and then like Jacob's story they said they were just gods.

That's when I realized it.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

They described the gods as normal people would look but stunning. They would have glowing radiant skin, defining eyes; they could walk gracefully and be social creatures. I wanted to run and tell Edward I knew but I was afraid he would be mad and what to know how I found out. I couldn't give Jake up; I wouldn't no matter how out of line he was. I was afraid a little, what if by knowing it made me less appealing? What if I was disposable?

As I watched them over the next couple days I couldn't help but notice their qualities. Rosalie is seductive, just by smiling guys look dazed and they agree, most of them act like her own personal assistants. If Edward is sitting with an I pod head phone in his ear full blast you can hear the songs change at random till he finds one he likes. With Jasper it was more subtle. When he argued with people things always ended his way, you don't notice it until you start keeping track. Alice would be gone every couple weeks, Edward said it was migraines and she wouldn't be back for a few more days. She always seemed to know what decisions to make and what things to avoid. I'm not sure weather spreading good moods are qualified as a power but it seemed to be Emmett's specialty. Esme was great at match making she was always talking about her friends who had been married ten years all thanks to her. Carlisle seemed to know every bit of news available to man; it was like the walking New York Times plus a horoscope section. Edward was always giving me advice his dad had wanted him to pass on.

After a few days of watching them my brain hurt, I felt sections of it slowly going numb. I was trying to think of an explanation; maybe I was trying to see the abnormal things about them. I believed with every inch of my body that they where not Titans, I also didn't believe that they were normal people. I felt backed in to a corner. I denied the offer that day to go to lunch with them. I wasn't paying attention when Alice skipped up behind me; I exited the page of known gods. I turned to her scowling. I slipped my foot to the main power switch and hit it. My light and computer went off clearing my history.

"Oh!" she looked surprised. "What happened?"

"Oh Crap." I looked under my desk acting like I didn't know what was happening. "I must have hit the main power switch."

"I'm sorry where you working on something?" I heard the remorse in her voice and felt a little bad for lying to her.

"No I didn't have very much done. It will be ok Alice." That's when Edward came up behind me and nuzzled his chest to my head.

"We are still at work." Alice looked at him reminding him that if she couldn't nuzzle Jasper, who didn't even work here, then he couldn't nuzzle me. When he pulled away I could feel a fiery burning between us.

After almost being caught I decided I would leave work a little early. I didn't want to be alone so I went over to Becca's house and cleaned up. I was about to leave when she pulled up. She asked me what i was doing there right before i went up to her and hugged her. She suggested we get our nails done. while We where driving we where both silent .

While we where inside she filled me in on all the gossip. I got to hear all about Rachel's new boyfriend, and some girl Jake got a date with. At the mention of Jake i remember to ask her about the Cullens.

"Jake told me a story the other day." i looked at her, the look on her face was like she was looking for something she just had. Her brown eyes brows raised and i knew she knew what i was talking about.

"He told you about the gods. Oh i knew this would happen." she rolled her eyes looking annoyed.

"Why is it so important to him? Why does he think its Edward's Family?"

"People have been saying it forever. He had always lived alone when he was little with a maid and a butler, his parents had died in a fire when they lived in America. Its crazy to me. But the men in our family have "Senses", because we are supposedly descended from roman leaders. Its all crazy."

I shook my head. "I don't believe they are norma. But they cant be titans, lots of stories say the people who do it are titans. If it is them who do it then they would have by now they had enough chances at least every day i have known them."

"Your really believe this don't you?"

"Yes Becca I do."

"Okay so if they are do you really think they are titans i mean I knew Alice, Jasper, and Edward from high school. I never hung out with them but i Saw them around. They didn't seem like they where looking for people to steal. But i have to admit they don't look like they have grown very much i don't think i have seen any of them with a zit. That is not normal."

"What if i do if they are gods? Becca what if my boyfriend is immortal and all powerful?"

"He wouldn't be all powerful, he would be like one of two-hundred gods. And they seem to like you so i think you will be safe."

"Great." I sat thinking of how complicated this was I had just fallen in to a mythology book. I failed my ninth grade English.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

It was dark when we left the nail shop. She walked to her car and I went around the corner to call the taxi company. They said they would be here in fifteen minuets. I called my mom to ask how Phil's game went. After talking on the phone for five minuets I walked to the vendee machines in the parking garage. When I reached them on the second level there where guys sitting ten yards away with beer in their hands. I tried not to pay attention to them as I got my soda but I was uncomfortable while my back was to them.

"Hey baby!" one of them was yelling at me. "Come over here sweetheart."

I turned around to get to the elevator. "I would love to taste how sweet she really is." I want supposed to hear it but all the muscles in my body tightened. I was half way to the elevator. I heard him get up and start coming towards me. I pressed the button. You would have thought that the empty elevator would have gone faster.

"Oh Honey I don't like playing Cat and mouse." I turned to the stairs and walked faster. There was a car speeding up the ramp. I prayed to god it might have been my taxi. The head light fixed on the guy and the passenger door swung open.

"Bella get in!" I knew the voice and ran to the car. Getting in and shutting the door I saw Edward's face. The fire that was in my heart lit up again and my stomach was dancing. I buckled as we hit the main street.

"I'm hungry." His voice was deep and protective. It scared me the way his jaw was set in stone. "We are stopping here."

We pulled up to a small cafe. There where four or five tables inside, with a small counter at the front. He rang the bell as he walked up to it. There was a short old woman that hurried out of the back. Her eyes lit up when she saw Edward. "Emma, look who is here, Its Edward Cullen." She smiled at him then her eyes shifted to me sizing me up, frowning as she turned to Edward.

"Hi Edward." a young woman's voice came from behind the curtain.

"Hi Emma." he smiled at the little lady as she kicked the stool over to the register. "How Is Mr. Henderson?"

"Oh, Todd is great dear thank you for asking. What can I get you Darling?"

"Two ice teas please, and a clam chowder, and what do you want Bella?"

"Ill have a clam chowder too. Thank you."

She glared at me and added it up on the register. "That will be fifteen 15 even." He handed her his credit card. "Emma will bring it out when it is ready."

We walked to a table in the corner and we sat. There were not many people, one lady on a laptop. Two done involved in a serious discussion and two people on a date.

"Bella what where you doing there alone at night?" His eyes where dark and strong.

"My friend and I had gotten our nails done I was waiting for a cab while I got my soda. They wouldn't leave me alone."

"Don't you ever-"

"Here you go." a girl with blond hair and crystal blue eyes looked down at him. "Two ice teas."

"Hi Emma. Then you how are you?"

"I'm good thank you. How are you? Is Rosie still with that hunk of stupid?"

"Yes she is and I'm great thank you." She smiled at him, and then looked at me with snake eyes.

"Hi I'm Emma." She stuck her hand out for a shake and I grabbed it lightly.

"Hi I'm Bella."

"Interesting." She turned to Edward, ignoring me. "I'll be back."

"What was that?" I looked at Rosalie's Evil twin.

"She was Rosalie's best friend, I dated her."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say I was meeting an EX.

"Don't be I have better now. But she tried to take Emmet right after they got married. She and I were still dating at the time."

"Oh, well I don't think she has her sights on Emmet any more." I sipped my tea. When I put the cup down he was looking at me. "What?"

He leaned over the small table and held my cheek. There was a fresh burst of happiness in my chest. "Oh ya, the only one who should be jealous is her because I have got my sights set on you."

There was a cough. "Here." she put the plates on the table and stormed off. I could have sworn that she had called me a bitch but I want about to tell Edward that.

We walked out to his car and he drove me home. He was driving at seventy five on a road that was fifty. "Aren't you going a little fast?"

"No one will care."

"No not unless we get in to an accident and die."

"We are not going to crash and Die."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do."

"Like you knew where I was?"

"Ya sure."

"What do you mean by sure?"

"I just knew."

"Or did someone tell you?"

"How would some one know?"

"I know Edward, about you and Alice and your family."

"What about us Bella?"

"Your gods." I looked at him and he had a smile on his face.

"Yes we are. Is that good or bad?"

"I'm not sure yet." I bit my lip and let out what I wanted to say. "I know about the girls."

"What if it wasn't us? What if they where stronger and older and we all had to listen to them? What if they where the ones who made the rules?"

"Then they would have been taken by the titans."

"Exactly. You have been doing good research."

"How did you know?"

"Just by shutting off your computer doesn't mean I can't access the main internet history." He laughed. I wasn't sure if I was in trouble.

"Oh."

We pulled up to my house. "Wait."

I looked at him I was worried that he would break everything off that very second. "Yes?"

"I care about you Isabella, you are safe, and I hope my family's secret is too."

"The secret is safe with me." I leaned over and kissed his cheek.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

I stood in front of the mirror in Alice's old room. I was wearing the dress she refused to let me buy for myself. I was trying not to fall over in the heels she had loaned me. Down stairs Edward Alice and Jasper waited while I stood hoping I wouldn't fall and break something tonight.

Tonight was the first time since my wedding that I was hearing heels. And I was starting to remember why. My make up was simple, mascara, eyeliner, foundation, and blush. My hair was curled and I wasn't wearing anything but topaz earrings. Alice ran past me in to her closet digging for some thing in one of the many drawers. It was the size of a boutique and with the same amount of clothing.

She spun in front of a mirror. "How is it Bells?" She had slipped a black over coat on.

"It looks great Alice." I pulled on my lace shoulder cover. "Are you sure this isn't much?"

"No silly it's perfect. You look great and Edward is going to love it." as the words came out she looked like she was about to throw up. "Alice what's wrong are you okay?"

"You know?" she looked betrayed but a little relived.

"Yes, I thought Edward would have told you."

"Well no he didn't, not till now." She looked down at the floor. "Well at least you know, that makes tonight easier."

"What?!" I hadn't thought of it but it hit me that there could be Gods and Goddesses

"Crap we have to leave." she rushed down stairs and I snailed after her keeping my balance. She was waiting for me at the stairs. We hugged and I tried not to mess up her wind swept hair.

"Tonight will be fun Bella." she danced silently down the stairs the square bottom of her dress flying around her legs. I started going down step by step holding to the railing for dear life. I turned the corner and saw Edward Standing ten steps below me.

When my feet hit the last step Edward had me in his arms spinning me. "I knew I should have trusted Alice with the Ties." He kissed me forehead. "You look amazing." I looked at his tie and it matched my dress. I heard Jasper laughing behind me.

"Darling did you get to Carlisle and Emmett as well?" She was giggling.

"Our chariot waits." Jasper grabbed the house keys and we followed him and Alice out to Edward's car.

We drove up to a big brick building, the only windows on it where at the very top here you could see a chandelier hanging. The music of 19th century France soaked through the walls. The parking lot in front of the building was full till the spots near the street. Alice and I walked behind the boys. Edward and Jasper didn't question our unusually slow pace, I suspected that they had planned this all.

"Bella the people in their are waiting for us so you knowing will make this easier. There will be people in their from work and people our family has known for centuries. There will be people from Carlisle and Esme's work as well. "I felt the dread enter my body again. I would be the only human to know there where gods among us tonight. "Stay close to Edward, or me or my parents. You will be safe with us. Don't let them know too much about you. Don't act surprised when they know stuff about you strangers shouldn't. And no matter what do NOT let them know you know we are gods."

"Okay." It was the only thing I could think of. I was trying not to panic, or at least let her know I was worried.

"Great!" We reached the doors where the boys where waiting for us.

The building was one story and large. It looked like it was the ball scene from Romeo and Juliet.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

It had been a long night. Alice promised I was safe because they didn't know I knew.

It was Christmas, the Blacks and I where going to have dinner together this year. They were out at the cemetery visiting their mom; her grave wasn't to far from my dads. I was going to go see him after dinner because I knew he wouldn't mind me taking care of Billy first.

I picked the spare key from under a garden gnome they had. I didn't turn on the lights but I kept going further in to the house. It was really dark for five PM and the whole house was older than it was outside in the winter air. There was something bitter in the air. Something was wrong here. I barely made any noise as I walked towards the kitchen. Above my head, in Billy's room, there were drawers opening and closing again. I stood there listening for at least a minuet before I walked to the phone. It was the coldest part of the house in the kitchen, the sliding glass door was shattered and the phoned had been pulled from the wall and thrown on the ground. I grabbed the knife Jake used to cut through meat. It was the biggest one that was in the house and most likely the sharpest. I looked around for something big that I could use and grabbed the silver candle holder off the dining room table.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs acting on protective instinct. I felt like I was gliding as I barely hit a stair going up. He was now in jakes room and I felt an electric jolt in side of me. That was my best friends stuff; Jake would be pissed if he knew what was going on. Then again I don't think he would let me go after some robber with a knife and candelabra either. I reached the top of the stairs making me less than two yards from the person. His foot steps where on the far side of the room near the window that looked in to the street. I walked in to the room not making a noise.

The floor finally betrayed me and squeaked under my weight when I was less then a yard from him. My arm was ready to swing the candle holder when he turned around. He was wearing all black with a clown mask hiding his features. "Who are you?" His voice was deep and he took a step closer. I backed up to jakes bed and threw the holder. It whooshed by him by a quarter of a foot. He charged at me, and I held out the knife. I felt the warm blood from his abdomen spill over on to my hand. I let go of it as fast as I could. His arms where waving aimlessly. Once he started to try and grab me I ran down the stairs. He fallowed me swinging around the door leaping on to my back with the knife still inside him. We tumbled down the stairs and he landed on top of me slamming my head in to the wall. I saw a flash of light and things went black for a few short seconds.

When I opened my eyes he was towards the back door. I grabbed a picture frame that had been knocked off the wall in a struggle. I threw it at him and it hit him squarely in the back. He turned around and his mask was off the look on his face was something that couldn't happen naturally on a human face. I got up and ran up the stairs; I couldn't scream all my power was in my legs. There was something unnatural about him not just the way he looked but the way he moved, and he had yet to take the knife out of him. I slammed the door to jakes room and locked it. I hide in the corner near his bed.

From the other side of the door I heard a low growl; progressively it got louder and shook the walls around me. The door blasted off the hinges raining splinters all over the room. He moved all the way in to the room in an animal's stance ready for the kill. I ran at his back hitting him with all my weight. I released his shirt as he fell in to the cracking glass. He let out one last growl right before he hit the ground. There was a crack; all of his bones must have broken because he was so contorted.

My knees buckled under me and I hit the ground. All I did was cry, really cry, it was so hard that I couldn't get enough air. I wasn't crying for him, but I was crying because I had just killed someone. Once I got a hold on myself I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I dialed my dad's old friend who still worked for the force.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Clearwater, its Bella, Charlie's daughter. I'm at the Black's house there's been an accident."

"Bella are you hurt? Who else is there?"

"No one is. I think I hit my head. Just please hurry."

"I'll be right there."

He got to the house in fewer than twenty minuets. I could hear on of the officers say something about an ambulance. There was a knock on the door that startled me. I had now made my way down the stairs and had my back against the door. "Bella its Mr. Clearwater. There's a man in the bushes is that why you called?" I opened the door all four officers where looking at me, gapping at my torso. I looked down to see what they were looking at. I got nauseous and the throbbing that was originating from the back of my skull got worse.

"He knocked me in to the table. My head hurts." I reached back, pain shot through me. It felt warm and tender; there was a warm syrupy feeling around it. Pulling back my hand I saw the blood. My blood. I felt everything rocking and it felt like I was in a spinning tea cup. Everything went black as my eyes rolled back in my head.

I heard voices, they sounded like three men. I couldn't hear what they where saying. My eyes opened and adjusted to the sun pouring in past the curtains. I was in a hospital room. Every thing was stark white with fake wood, and dull blue furniture. The door was right in front of me with the blinds half way open. The three men stood outside, I only recognized Mr. Clearwater, and he was with another officer. The doctor they where talking to kept glancing at me. Once he saw that I was awake he left the officers. They stood there looking at me, not trying to hide that they where talking about me. The doctor came back and they all walked in.

"Miss Swan, I'm your doctor, Dr. Stewart. How are you feeling?" The doctor asked.

"I'm not sure. Sore. My head is light. What happened?"

"You got quite a few bumps to the head, and a few bruises."

"I don't know it's all confusing."

"Well just let the stitches close, and come back in a week and a half, we'll remove them. As for the bruises, just go easy on yourself."

The officer next to Mr. Clearwater cleared his throat.

"Bella this is Officer Newton." Mr. Clearwater introduced me.

"Hello Bella." Newton nodded at me.

"Hi."

"Bella, two nights ago you were at the Blacks house." The scene came back to me as he described it. "The back door was shattered, there where signs of a struggle and a man had fallen out of the window in Jacobs's room." I remembered the growl and the heart monitor started beeping fast. The air had been sucked out of me for a split second.

"Oh my God." I was gasping in shock in my struggle to regain my breathing pattern. The breathing tubes in my nose where making it harder for me. I remembered the feeling of energy that ran through me when I had pushed him. "He was attacking me I Tried to stop him. He kept chasing me around the house. When we fell down the stairs I hit my. . ." I reached back to where I hit my head. The gauze was over the wound.

"So step by step what happened?" He spoke to me as he wrote down what I had been saying.

"I was going to ummm….. Oh make Christmas dinner early while the Blacks were at their mother's grave. I was going to visit Charlie after."

"An who is Charlie?"

"My dad, I was going to visit his grave after dinner. He always but Billy and his family before himself, he would have wanted me to make sure they were fed."

"Back to why you were there?"

"Yes, yes, I was going to get the potatoes and chicken pot pie early. I new something was wrong I opened the door. I heard someone up stairs robbing them; the sliding door in the kitchen was broken. I grabbed something and a knife for protection before I went up stairs."

"How did the down stairs look was anything out of place but the door?"

"No it was just the door messed up." I looked up from the sheets to Mr. Clearwater and he nodded at me.

"What did you take with you?" Newton had finished writing.

"A knife the big one, and a candle holder."

"The knife it had blood on it why is that?"

"That happened when I got up stairs. He heard me, so I threw the candle holder at him. But he launched himself at me, it looked so unnatural. I held out my hand with there knife in it." My eyes started burning as I remembered the feeling of the blood. My face was turning hot and my face went hot.

"Bella its okay we can come back."

"No, no it's okay. You guys need this. It was in him. I ran and he pushed me down the stairs. I pulled him down with me and that's when I hit my head. I blacked out long enough for him to make it to the kitchen. I threw a picture frame and it hit his back. Before he could turn around I was up the stairs. I got in to Jakes room and locked the door. I was hiding in the corner when he kicked the door open. When he was close enough to the window I ran at him. I didn't know what else to do; he was going to kill me." I was bawling by this point, I had killed some one.

"Now Now Miss. Swan. Its perfectly fine self defense, the evidence matches your story. And we have no reason to believe otherwise." Newton patted my hand and I started to get a hold of myself.

"Is there anything else?" I looked at Mr. Clearwater, his eyes were dark.

"No Sir. That's when I called you. Sir am I in trouble? Are the Blacks okay?"

"Yes Bella they are fine. They are waiting out front. And no you are not in trouble, many cops have to make the same decision you did during their career, your dad did. He would be proud to know you protected yourself and other people."

They left and Becca and Rachel came in. The officers had told them everything. But the girls sat there as I ranted and cried about everything in my life that had happened. Neither of them were surprised about my feelings of confusion for Jake, and they didn't say a word about my falling for Edward.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Billy had them release me an hour late because he wanted them to run extra tests. Rebecca and Clyde drove me to the Cullen's house. Edward had called me and told me that everyone wanted to make sure I was ok but there was a worrying tone in his voice that told me he was hiding something.

The trees looked different at might, like there was something in the shadows waiting for my weakest monument. The dirt road was completely contrasted the white head light, and the lights of the house only reached to the first layers of brush. I tried not to think of the things that could be hiding in the darkness that was so close to me I shivered as the car lights turned off. I was expected to get out of the car but I was busy looking at the house. All of downstairs was filled with light, but only one room upstairs had the lights on. Inside Carlisle's study he was talking with a man whom I did not recognize. His long dread locks kept me from getting a good look at him, he was pacing while Carlisle was sitting on his desk. One of his sons was sitting in the chair behind him but it was too far to see.

I walked up to the door and knocked on it. It flew open with an unkempt Alice standing on the other side of it. I was surprised to see Alice in such a state, her short hair was tied and pines in to pig tails, she had on a sweat out fit that look lie she had slept in it. She tugged me in to the house and waved quickly before shutting the door. "Oh gods, Bella. Are you okay?" Before I could answer she did for me. "Of course you are they wouldn't have let you out. EDWARD! He is upstairs, we have a guest."

He walked down; his eyes were red with bags under them. He tried to smile but it looked like he hadn't slept in a day or so. Without a word he walked up too me and wrapped his arms around me. My head was on his chest and I could hear his heart pumping. "What's wrong?" I whispered not moving my head from its rightful spot. There was a small little chuckle. "What?" I looked up at him and glared, repeating myself, "What?"

"You got attacked by a robber and you're asking me if I'm okay?" His eyes sparkled as he bent down to kiss my forehead.

"I'm fine ask Alice, she checked." He hugged me tighter and pulled me on to the couch with him.

"Okay Bella. We have a guest, he is here on family matters and Carlisle-"

"Carlisle is down from his study with our guest. I need to talk to Bella, Alice would you come too?" I stood up and straightened my self out, and she nodded at her father in laws request. "Edward stays here."

"Why do I have to stay here?" He stood up and pressed himself against my back I felt his muscles tight protective about my safety. "She is my girlfriend I think I have the right to know what is going on Carlisle." Jasper walked around the corner with Emmet in tow, both of them laughing. "Why are you laughing?" Edward shot him a glare from above my head.

"You're not going up there because you're going to over react-"

"I will not-"

"You are now." Rosalie was standing at the gauge door. "I checked the blacks house its safe there now, and I secured Rebecca and Clyde's house. Rachel is staying with them. It looks like we are all staying here for a while; there are guards outside of all of our places."

"Guards?" I didn't understand what anyone would want from their houses. I looked at Esme and Alice to make things clearer.

Esme grabbed my arm. "Why don't you and Alice go up stairs? We have got things straightened out." I nodded and she gave me hug. "I'll stay down here with Rose and the boys."

Once we were inside Carlisle's office I felt the tension hit. Alice sat on the arm of the loveseat I had settled in. the man was looking out the window at the trees. Carlisle shut the door and turned to us. "Bella we were lucky you got out so early, it means you weren't hurt very badly. But you were safer at the hospital. This is Laurent, the god of family feuds. His companions, Victoria and James, are out to get you; James is the god of thieves. They can track you here, almost anywhere, but they won't come here."

Alice's small hands were holding mine, petting them. "When you killed the robber in The Blacks house you provoked James. He is looking for revenge, either by making you his slave by stealing for him, or killing you while you suffer the same fate he did. He has never let some on go he will hunt them for years if he has to. Over the last two thousand years he has killed millions. Most of them seemed to prefer death over spending the rest of their life under an unbreakable contract." Laurent paced slowly back and forth, looking at his feet. My heart was trying to rip it self out of my chest.

"You are lucky Miss. Isabella. The Cullen's are the most powerful, and liked gods of any. Even the titans prefer their company to any others, because they hold so strongly to the rules."

I didn't know what to say, I felt cornered. He didn't now the whole story. My life was collapsing around me. "What's wrong Bella?" Carlisle looked at me. I know I wasn't physically distressed but I was never good at hiding my facial expressions.

"Why did he growl?" Alice's eyes narrowed at me.

"He growled?" She looked up at Laurent for the answer.

"He must have been one of his powerful slaves. How did he growl?" I felt like I was in the police interrogation all over again. This time I knew I could tell them everything; I wouldn't get put in a mental hospital.

"It sure as hell wasn't human. It was more like a wild pig, and a lion and the bark of a really really big dog." I was shaking thinking of it.

"Yes, it was one of his slaves."

"What do we do?" I turned to look at Alice but she had moved faster then I had anticipated. She was at her Father in laws side. He nodded and looked from me, to Alice, to Laurent.

"Bella is an important part of our lives. We are willing to do anything we have too to keep her safe."

"Either you fight him till he dies, or you run your whole life. There is no way to escape him, as I said earlier he can hunt you down from half way around the world.

"Well then we now what we have to do." We all looked to see Edward standing at the door. I got up and walked over to him.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

The clock on the radio said 12:35 AM. Edward was driving 50 miles faster than we should have been down the 10 Miles per hour road. We were several blocks away from my house. He didn't say anything as we drove. We tore in to the drive way. My front door was open and several lights inside were turned on.

"Stay here." He commanded and I saw no reason to disobey him. He reached under his seat and pulled out a hand gun. With the gun out in front of him he went in to my house. I watched the rest of the lights turn on before he came out. My suit case was in his hand and he motioned for me to go to him. I couldn't get enough of his presence, but I knew keeping me safe was his biggest priority right now. I jogged from the car to him; the look in his eyes was strong as he scanned the rest of the neighbor hood. The golden fire was lit in them and he didn't look like he was going to let it down any time soon.

"It's clear. He was here, and I'm sure now that we've been here he will come back." I nodded and we went inside the house. The pictures along the front wall where shattered. My face had been blacked out like it had been burnt. I didn't have any pictures to replace them; I didn't know where I could get any. My living room had been turned upside down; the couch was leaning up against the kitchen island. My lamps were broken and all of the chairs were on top of the kitchen table. We climbed over my shower curtain that was lying in the middle of the hall way, to get in to my bed room.

"How long do you think I need to pack for?" I was already grabbing my make up. I walked in to the bathroom and stopped the mirror was shattered everywhere. "I'll get stuff from my dad's room."

"A week, if it's any longer just wash them." I went back to my room and grabbed 3 pairs of sweat outfits, and some tank tops. As I set my luggage on the living room floor I remembered Stella.

"Oh shit! Stella, moms here. Come out come out."

"Where do you think she would be?" He went in to the kitchen and looked around the couch. We searched the whole house before we went in to my dad's room. She was sitting in the shower, crying. He went to grab her carrying case out of the garage as I got my shampoo and conditioner.

Once we hit the main road she quieted and started to relax. "She knows something bad is going on. Animals have that sixth sense." I couldn't help but look at him and wonder if he had the same sense. As we pulled up to the dinner at the edge of town I saw Alice sitting on the hood of her car. Her face was calm as she sauntered over to us.

"How was the house? Did you safe guard it?"

"Too late little sister. It was ran sacked."

"Well shit!" she stomped her foot and opened the trunk on her yellow porce. "Well I talked to Becca and Clyde safe guarded the place. You can stay with her for a few days."

"What's a few days going to give us Alice?"

"Enough time to trap James."

"You're going to what?" My head snapped form Edward to his sister.

"That's dads plan, we are going to trap him. He got one like the one the titans used on Haiti."

"That can't work can it? They have the most power."

"We have more people Bella."

"You guys," Alice interrupted. "This isn't the best place to be right now. We are sitting out side a dinner. Some things are after Bella and we are chatting in a parking lot."

Edward looked at her and held my hand. "She is right." She opened the door of her car and climbed in to the driver's seat. I got out and walked to the door opposite where Alice was sitting. Edward wasn't that far behind me. He took my hand and I looked in to his eyes trying not to cry.

"Isabella, you have changed my life, and no one is going to hurt you." He bent his head down and lightly placed his lips on her forehead. I looked up at him and my lips met his. His lips were hard as stone and I met them with all my will power. I trusted him with my life and my heart.

I climbed in to the car with my eyes still on Edward. At the stop light before Becca and Clyde's house Alice tried reassuring me. "Bella everything will be okay. We will take care of it." In her voice I could hear her fear and determination. I didn't doubt her but I knew Rebecca and Rachel couldn't protect me.

As we reached the driveway I looked at Alice and voiced my opinion. "Alice, Rebecca and Rachel can't protect me. I love them and what if being here just puts them in more danger?"

She looked at me and nodded. "Bella, if they told you they will tonight, Rebecca just found out herself. You'll understand."

She was right; once she left they explained it to me. Becca had been so busy planning the wedding that Clyde hadn't got a chance to tell her. When Alice went to Clyde for help Becca was lost, and didn't know why or how they had known each other.

He hadn't told her his real mom was a goddess, the goddess of Rulers. His dad had chosen to stay human and raise Clyde till he could choose on his own. By the time I had gotten there he had set up boarders around the house too keep Gods out; as a result he couldn't leave the house either.

I was going to be safe; all I could do now was pray that the Cullen's would be too.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

The phone rang around six PM two days later; when Clyde hung the phone up he seemed happy. Then he deiced he wanted to tell us the news. "James is going to Arizona to try to find you there; they will be waiting for him. The plan is working." I could feel the air in the house lighten. Even though I should have been dancing from happiness I had questions.

"What happens if he comes back? How do they even know he is gone? What of he catches on to them?"

"There's this goddess, Zafrina. She is the goddess of sight. She can see the future. If you ask her to focus on something she can get a preminisson of what is going on related to the subject given. She and Alice are close, and an aquatinted of my mother. Zafrina saw him boarding a plane at 6:41 PM. So we can have our freedom back. The only thing is you have to stay in the house till we are sure the plane leaves."

That's when I felt the weight lift of my body, Rachel sprung right off the couch. "Well then I'll be at my house getting ready for a dinner." She grabbed the bag she had been living out of for the last few days. They had asked her to stay because she had been at my house and he would have been able to track her to her house. The Cullen's wanted to tie up every loose end. After she left, and Becca and Clyde had gone grocery shopping I was cleaning the house. It was seven when I got the text message form Esme that the plane had left and they where at home pacing for their flight in the morning.

I went to change in to a sweat out fit and pulled up my hair. I wasn't paying attention to the road as I was driving to the cemetery. My visit to my dad was long over due. When I had meant to go I was unconscious. Sense then I hadn't gotten the chance seeing as I had been hiding at Becca house. I knew the way by heart, I could have gotten their by memory even before my new life. I was busy making a list in my head of the things I had to do the next day:

Clean the house

Make another list of things that are broken or missing

Go shopping for the things that are broken or missing

Get a burglar Alarm

Go see Jake

Mae dinner for Billy and Jake.

I pulled in to the grave yard entrance and typed the key code in. there was fog as I drove up along the rode. The grave stones where like waves washing past the car. I stopped at the green flags that they used to mark sections so the patron's family could remember. I read the words when I reached his grave and smiled.

Officer Charles Eric Swan

Member of the police force for 35 years

1948-2004

Loving father and great friend

I sat at the foot of his grave looking at the picture of him that was on their. "Hi dad. You have no idea how insane these past few weeks have been. I'm sorry I didn't come to see you; I was a bit tied up. Billy's okay and Becca's wedding is well on the way. Maybe one day you'll meet Edward." I smiled at the thought of my decease father meeting my immortal boyfriend. "He is great dad, he is a god, and yes Jake told me the story. He is Carlisle Cullen's son. I met him at work but I think now I might love him. .his family is so nice Dad. Except for his Sister Rose, but its whatever. If they didn't care about me dad I might be with you right now."

There was a little flash of lightning and I heard a twig snap off a tree. "Well dad ill see you soon. Ill keep the same pattern a before our little break I promise." I got up and turned around before I took another step towards my car there was another flash of lightening. A man was standing in front of my car but the light disappeared to fast and I couldn't see him. A few seconds later there was another flash and he was gone.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16

Lightning flashed again and I heard a noise in a close tree. I didn't want to look up at it but I could feel his power up in the tree. It was James. My heart was racing, and I was starting to feel it in my stomach. I wanted to fall down to my knees but I couldn't move.

"Isabella Swan I presume?" he laughed and dropped to the ground. "I'm James, your worst nightmare. Do you know why I'm here Isabella?" I nodded.

"Good, you should. You killed my most loyal servant. He was just trying to find out about you. Well you would have died either way." He laughed and I felt the familiar burning of acid in my throat. "See Isabella I was going to steal you, those selfish bastards didn't invite me to their damn party for one reason. Why you ask? Well I'll tell you, they've always acted like they where better because of their traits. They didn't harm a soul. Well that's a bunch of lies, they lie to everyone around them, and they think they are too great to come live with us in our world. They aren't and when I rip you bit from bit they'll want to run back to where it's safe."

I felt dizzy and my mind fogged as I spoke unedited. "Just because people don't like you, because you hurt and lie for a living, because people like you better you're going to kill me?"

"Well the Cullen's little bitch has a brain. Well did you ever think that they weren't all born gods? The wizard of gods can change you in to a god, and then you wouldn't be in this place. But look they left you venerable, and now you're going to die.

I ran to my car I knew I couldn't out run him but it was worth a try. I stopped pressing my self up against the car. When I looked in to my seat he was sitting there laughing at me. He climbed out of the car and walked around it I stepped back trying to get away from him. With another flash of lightning there where a dozen of him surrounding me. He was trying to play with my head and it was just over kill. I knew he was stronger than I coukld ever be. A second flash of lighting and it was just him again.

"Isabella its time to die."

I never imagined anything like this could ever happen. I knew from the second I found out what/who they were that bad things would happen. Now I'm standing here, on my father's grave, my life swinging in the balance. I guess there are worse ways to die. I didn't think things would get this out of hand. I did what I thought was right. The guy was behind bars, where he should be. How ironic is it that I will die in a graveyard? His eyes narrowed, his true power shining. No longer hidden from the world. From my mortal knowledge. No matter how deviant he is how much pain I will be in, he was beautiful.

I can't help Jeremy leaving me. That's what started it all. I can't regret my decision of moving to Rome, just as much as falling in love. I can't be sad not really, I have seen love, and adventure, and friendship. The pain of losing the man I love can never touch me, for he will never die.

Now I sit here staring his enemy in the face.

Waiting for him to finish me off.

I soared ten feet in the air and my body was bound when I looked down at it I was bound by blue shining ropes of energy.

A hundred feet away there was trees on the road, I could see cars speeding towards us. I dropped to the ground and landed on wrist, the pain I felt was unbearable. He walked up to me as I lay on the ground trying not to move my arm. "Poor Isabella tumbled down and broke her wrist. At least you don't have a knife in your stomach." Then I felt a pain in my stomach and I couldn't move. I wanted to kick and scream but even breathing was starting to feel impossible. "Oh wait yes you do." He laughed.

My vision was fogging and I wasn't processing what was happening anymore. Right before everything went black I saw him fly in to a tree. The screams where terrible. I felt arms holding me, the hands turned my head and I saw those burning eyes once last time. "Bella Alice is going to take you to the hospital. I love you."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 17

I woke up this time it was dark, other than that everything was like Déjà vu. The White walls, fake wood and blue chairs glared back at me. I tried sitting up in my hospital bed but I couldn't. My stomach didn't hurt in fact I couldn't feel it at all. My right wrist was in a cast and I had a neck brace on.

I turned my head as much as I could, I saw Edward sleeping in the chair a few feet away. I smiled remembering the way he had said he loved me. I had stopped believing those words a long time ago but there was something about the way he said it. My heartbeat was picking up in the monitor. I turned as much as possible and grabbed my cell phone off the bedside table. All I had to do was hit speed dial and Becca's ring back tone was playing back at me.

"Hello, Bella? I'll be right in." She hung up before I could say anything. Within seconds Becca, my mom, Alice and a doctor were standing in front of my bed. It was Dr. Stewart who spoke first. "How are you feeling Bella??

"Okay but I can't remember anything."

"Okay well I'm going to check everything while Alice explains what happened to you." It took him a few minuets to check all the machines I was hooked up to. He looked at me and smiled. "Everything looks perfect. You might be able to go home tomorrow." I saw my moms face light up.

He took my mom out of the room while Alice sat her self on my bed facing me. "I cant remember." I didn't know what to do.

"I know Bells you where beat up pretty bad when we got to you. But he cant hurt you of anyone else anymore."

"What happened to him?"

"The only thing that can kill a god is other gods." She didn't like violence but she seemed at peace with the fact no one was in danger anymore.

I nodded and looked back at the slumbering Edward. "How long has he been there?"

"Since you came in after your surgery. Your stomach will be fine and the reconstructed your wrist. Only problem is you have to get searched every time you fly."

"My stomach?" I hadn't forgotten about my missing abdomen just yet.

"He stabbed you pretty good but you'll fully recover." She leaned over and kissed the air a few inches from it. "I'll go get your mom, I think she is really nice." She fluttered out of the room.

For the next two hours I talked with everyone; Esme, Billy, Rene, Rachel. Phil couldn't make it because his team had a game against the California Giants, but he had flowers sent to the room. Jake wanted me to sell my house and move in to their guest room, he said he didn't like me living alone anymore. I would tell him soon about what had happened but it wasn't going to be here. He seemed to be the only one in his family who was told the cover story about the car crashing in to a tree.

Carlisle and Esme said I could stay with them till the house was all fixed up but I guess while I was sleeping Rachel had all the windows fixed. Rachel had also sent Becca and Clyde to clean up the mess as soon as I woke up. The only person I hadn't talked to was Edward, throughout all of the conversations he had been sitting in his chair. He had looked up from his laptop once but other than that he had been working.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18

He sat at my bedside holding my hand like it was a baby's hand. I just looked at him for the first minuet or two. He just looked back at me; he leaned down to kiss my forehead before he broke the stillness that surrounded us. "You're not allowed to do that ever again."

I laughed, my chest aching a little, he narrowed his eyes. "Ya sure Edward next time I'm getting attacked by an insane **God** I'll click my heels three times. Before you know it I'll be home." He wasn't amused by my remark. I felt bad he just didn't respond and loosened his grip on my hand.

"Edward, I'm sorry. That was bad of me. I've just been here all day and I can't do anything like this." I raised my arm up. "Not like I can even walk with M.I.A. middle parts."

"I know Bella. It's my fault we shouldn't have let you go anywhere alone. I don't want to ever put you in that position again. You mean too much to me." He had never shown this much emotion to me.

"Edward Cullen, I'm ready for anything to be with you. I got attacked by a god and I'm still here."

"What happens if worse happens and you do leave? What happens if the Titans find out about you? They will try to kill you Bella, and I can't take that."

"I won't leave you no matter what. If they want to kill me then we will find a way around it. There has to be a way. And maybe just maybe you'll never have to live without me."

"I would never submit you to the world I'm a part of Bella. These animals can barely fallow the rules that have been here for thousands of years. When you die ill go on alone like I did before you. I won't kill everything you can be by making you one of us." He was getting mad at me. He was trying to keep his voice strong but low so no one out side would hear him.

"Edward I'm going to get old and I'm going to waste my life away. I'll be old and wrinkly and you'll be the same age. Are you ready to change my adult diapers?" He slowly got up and let go of my hand. I know my sarcasm had gone too far but I couldn't regret it. I was going to get old and I couldn't change that.

"I don't have any reason to make you a miserable as I am."

"Do I make you miserable Edward?" I felt my heart about to break and I held my breath waiting for his answer.

"No you are the only thing that makes me happy." I finally let go of the breath I was holding and my chest ached.

"Then I would rather be miserable with you then imagine how different things could be."

"Do you really think I don't want to stay with you forever because I do? But I'm not going to be selfish and bring this upon this."

"The ways I feel wont change Edward."

"Good because neither will mine."

I fell asleep shortly after that. With the agreement that we would not agree. But I was determined to change it one day.


	20. AN

Authors Note:

Hi people reading this!

I think its only fair to inform you that this story has a fallow up so if you liked it you could go take a look at that too3

Its called Lessons Learned.

It would be much appreciated if you guys would R&R.

-Kaela


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